Nearly a week removed from the 2016 CMA Awards, and what are we still talking about? We’re not talking about how the CMA’s were able to assemble an amazing list of legendary performers to usher in their 50 year anniversary. We’re not talking about the excellent collaborations between George Strait and Alan Jackson, or Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yoakam. We’re not talking about how Chris Stapleton did the unthinkable again and walked away with the Male Vocalist of the Year prize, or are awed by how Garth Brooks bested out Luke Bryan for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award—the first time Garth’s won the award in 18 years.

In fact we’re not talking to each other at all. We’re shouting. We’re yelling. We’re digging into our predisposed positioning stances and blaming the other side. We’re not discussing the music. We’re either attacking or defending Kenny Chesney for the inadvertent and arbitrary facial features he many or may not have made during Beyonce’s CMA performance, or some off-the-cuff tweets from Travis Tritt. And the think pieces continue to pour in about how important Beyonce’s performance was to healing racial divides and building bridges, when ultimately all it did was unleash the mother of all shitstorms that we’re still trying to unwind from, and likely will be for weeks or months to come, and during a time when we need music to be a place apart from political acrimony more than ever.

Some have asked why there wasn’t nearly as much anger directed toward Justin Timberlake when he performed on the CMA Awards in 2015. But criticism levied towards pop performers has been present throughout the history of the CMA Awards, from Justin Timberlake, to Charlie Rich burning the envelope with John Denver’s name for Entertainer of the Year in 1975. It’s just the mainstream entertainment media wasn’t paying attention until there was a political narrative they could exploit.

And what was the result of Justin Timberlake’s performance with Chris Stapleton? It was a consensus built between mainstream and independent fans, traditional and contemporary fans that this Chris Stapleton guy is someone we can all enjoy, together, to the tune of a year later Chris Stapleton once again has the #1 record in all of country music. The performance brought people together.

What has been the result of Beyonce’s involvement in the 2016 awards? Division and acrimony. Some will tell you that Beyonce is just what country music needed to root out its racial bigotry, or as one commenter said, “Beyoncé’s outward character is associated with everything about black culture that white people find threatening. And she is proud of it.” This is the theory that continues to be forwarded in think pieces written by pop journalists who only know country music from the outside looking in, and as a bastion for Trump supporters and red state dwellers. For some reason country music must be threatened into purging its racism, as if anyone would assume that would be effective instead of counterproductive, because discussion and understanding seem to not be a worthy avenue.

And it’s that failed logic that has resulted not in the eroding of the minor, but undeniably present racially insensitive quotient to country music. It has fanned the flames. It has fueled the fire. It has given the racists of country music a forum and a springboard, and they have exploited this opportunity, and now country music is roiled in political and racial debate like every other sector of American society.

What was the biggest concern about booking Beyonce for the 2016 CMA Awards? It wasn’t that her performance would sow racial and political discord, it was that her star power would overshadow the rest of the performers and award recipients, and push others off the itinerary completely with such a big time slot. And that is exactly what happened.

Who won the 2016 CMA for Album of the Year? How many country fans can even tell you off the top of their head? It’s hard to remember even though it’s one of the most important distinctions of the night, because less than a week later it feels like an afterthought. But it was Eric Church and his record Mr. Misunderstood, which arguably is one of the best records to be released in the country mainstream in years. Like so much else that went down (and was overshadowed) on the 2016 CMA Awards, it was yet another indication that the tide is turning for the better in country music.

But again, we’re not talking about that.

And though it seems that few, if any noticed, it wasn’t Beyonce that decided to tackle hatred and racism head on in her performance at the 2016 awards, it was Eric Church. The song that Eric Church decided to perform on the 2016 CMA Awards was called “Kill A Word.” It’s a duet with a black country music performer named Rhiannon Giddens. “Kill A Word” is a song about the very themes that have come to the forefront in the aftermath of the Beyonce performance, and all the seemingly endless racial threads that it has sprouted. It’s about how important it is that we listen to each other, and instead of shouting accusations, understand how divides don’t get broken down with insults and name calling, but get exacerbated by them.

Eric Church didn’t choose to perform “Kill A Word” at the 2016 CMA Awards a week before the Presidential election by happenstance. Church says, “I’ve performed on a lot of award shows, I’ve played a lot of songs, but I don’t know if I ever had a performance that felt more important and timely than this one.”

And if there is one specific word that you think Eric Church is most highlighting to ‘kill’ in “Kill A Word,” what would it be? I think you know. I think we all know. And this lesson, and this song and performance delivered with a cool-headed grace and patience could have resulted in what so many were hoping Beyonce would accomplish on the awards simply by her presence. But instead Beyonce’s presence only overshadowed Eric Church, Rhiannon Giddens, and “Kill A Word.” You can tell this because in the continued parade of think pieces and opinion, nobody is talking about it, even though it hits right at the very themes of the issue.

Use staff and rod to turn me black and blue Cause you can’t unhear, you can’t unsay But if were up to me to change I’d turn “lies” and “hate” to “love” and “truth”

The ‘lies’ and ‘hate’ were how Beyonce’s “Beyhive” attacked the CMA’s for being racist for “scrubbing” Beyonce’s involvement from the awards. The ‘love’ and ‘truth’ was the CMA’s booking Beyonce in the first place, and removing a video from social feeds at the Beyonce camp’s request.

And what of the 2016 CMA Song of the Year, Lori McKenna’s “Humble and Kind”? These were the types of expressions and lessons the CMA Awards were trying to push to the forefront with their presentation and awards. This was the message they wanted to have country music represent, fully knowing they would be one of the final nationally-broadcast cultural assemblies right before the Presidential election. Country music doesn’t need to be talked down to as if it doesn’t know it has a racial problem, and it doesn’t need to solicit help from the pop world to solve it.

And meanwhile, what are we talking about nearly a week later? The problem is, we’re not talking at all.

– – – – – – – – – –

(At the time of posting, this performance of ‘Kill A Word’ has just over 11,000 views. The Beyonce performance over multiple platforms has many millions.)

70 Comments

Wallace
November 7, 2016 @
11:03 am

I think it speaks more to how we view an event like this. People consume things like this after the fact in segments instead of taking the whole into account. Nobody is going to talk about the Eric Church performance because with that circle that is talking about the Beyonce stuff the rest of the show might as well have not existed. “CMA’s had Beyonce? Boo, fuck the rest.” is what I see often in relation to this. These people will forever be ignorant of the fact that this CMA show was one of the best they’ve produced as a whole in a long time. To the point that it’s even worth going back and watching most of it. But if they didn’t catch it live, chances are they won’t even hear about anything but the Beyonce segment as talk about that drowns out the voice of anything else that happened.

I wrote a long reply to this article about racism and stereotypes. That I wanted to be better than that. But screw that Beyonce flat out sucks she has been causing trouble all year but not actually trying to help anyone. She is empty and only cares about money, using her blackness to garner attention. Beyonce you are not Malcolm X, you are a high paid stripper that sings other people’s songs. You don’t have any voice in any racial matters, you are rich elitist self described diva. Why didn’t you go to those riots and try to calm them down? Why don’t you admit that without white people you would have half the audience, wouldn’t have gotten any deal nothing.?!? You act like you have exclusively worked with black people your whole career. Hope people wise up.

You know what this has nothing to do with music, so I shouldn’t be posting meaningless opinions. All I really care about is music, and this entire subject is starting to piss me off. Beyonce ain’t shit, CMAs ain’t shit, kenny Cheney ain’t shit, racist assholes ain’t shit either. But Cody Jinks now that’s a platform I get behind, why are we talking about all the no talent hacks that have nothing to do with the music we love. They can all kiss my ass, I’m gonna play I’m not the devil and forget about this BS.

Also, I suspect that the Chicks would’ve never been invited back to the CMAs if not for their connection to Beyonce’s song, and that Bey’s appearance was primarily meant to be a ratings ploy and an attempt to make another Timberlake-Stapleton moment happen. :\

as much as they seem like nice people who are stuck with Natalie Maines’ blatant disrespect for our genre (and I’m only talking Country Music, I’ve been clear in the past about politics and don’t wanna veer off) the fact that they just keep putting up with her implies more than just a passing association.
Either they’re sticking with her because the Chicks brand brings in money, or they actually share her sentiments.

…or maybe, just maybe, they’re capable of looking past any differences of opinion they might have with her, because she’s a fucking incredible singer, and they make great music together.

Being able to work with people who differ from you in order to advance a common goal used to be called “being a functional adult.” These days, it seems like more of a fairy tale.

19+

Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 7, 2016 @
8:33 pm

Functional adult or not, I feel like you’re not quite catching my drift.

If I ran a hotel, and my assistant manager hated hotels, why would I keep him?
If I ran a meat shop, I wouldn’t hire a vegan or someone from PETA to help make my sausages.

So when Natalie Maines, who hates Country Music, it’s audience, and the way of life it encompasses, joins a band that plays Country Music, with two people who almost encourage this behavior, I call foul.

It just screams of greed and money-lust. “These hillbillies will buy my albums if I make their unsbutle blatant music.”

and she’s not “that” incredible.

We’ve had recording technology for over 100 years now. In all that time you don’t think we’ve found enough singers good enough that we wouldn’t have to listen to someone like her?
or do you just live where it’s hard to import Patsy Cline albums?

That’s my stance on almost all new music.
Why would I listen to this if I can pull something better out of my collection?

and if it’s any consolation: I also dislike Jon Pardi and Mo Pitney for the same reasons.
Why would I listen to this when I have over 1000 albums, including some really good ones from Green Day, Sonny Rollins, and Bob Wills?

5+

Cool Lester Smooth
November 8, 2016 @
9:46 am

If it didn’t affect their job performance, or color their interactions with me, I’d absolutely keep them.

Also, it’s quite possible that she doesn’t actually hate country music as a genre, and instead just dislikes a group of people who burned her fucking records and sent her death threats because she dared to express a different opinion than theirs.

What an unreasonable bitch, amirite guise?!

7+

Xena
November 7, 2016 @
1:50 pm

Really? This is how you’re going to situate the amazing performance of Eric Church and Rhiannon Giddens? It’s disappointing that you couldn’t have just highlighted their performance without jumping back into the shitshow that is the Beyonce fall-out. I get that people are pissed about it all – from so many different angles. But this post is just throwing fuel into an already ridiculous fire.

Tomorrow, the people of the United States (I’m Canadian) will vote in one of the ugliest, most poisonous elections ever witnessed. If you want to sow some love and truth, why don’t you stop throwing stones at one another and focus on what good people are doing. What steps you all are taking to make things better. Without falling into the polemical trap that so colours the last 6 months of your history.

We are all in this together – Beyonce, the Dixie Chicks, Eric Church, Rhiannon Giddens, Trigger – all of us. Good people are doing good things to make the world better. Let’s give them a spotlight. Alone. Without the drama. Music has so much more to bring us together than to tear us apart. Let’s let it do its work.

Sorry – I’ve just been watching this for the last week and am dumbfounded at some of the responses – from all angles.

“We are all in this together – Beyonce, the Dixie Chicks, Eric Church, Rhiannon Giddens, Trigger – all of us.”

Lol, cue up “we are the world”… No, we’re not all in this together. Literally every person you mentioned there could disappear from the face of the earth and it wouldn’t affect me one bit. Except for Trigger, because I like reading this blog.

Well, for what it’s worth, it sounds like you need to try out a few different albums. “Short Stories” by the Statler Brothers, “My Love Affair with Trains” by Merle Haggard, “Happy Tracks” by Kenny Price, “Cold Hard Truth” by George Jones, “Next Big Thing” by Vince Gill, “Men with Broken Hearts” by Hank Williams Sr. Jr. and 3.
try a few, they all put “Home” to shame.

There’s so many great albums out there that it’s quite easy to overlook “Home” which just sounds… uninspired, to me.

It’s not that it’s a “bad” album, but when compared to some of the better albums from Country Music history, it doesn’t measure up as much.

You only listed one album from the past 20 years in there, and nothing from a female artist.

3+

Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 7, 2016 @
8:25 pm

everyone knows about my long list of beefs with Trigger.

Nevertheless he’s my friend and I respect and admire him.

But if you’re looking for other albums from the past twenty years:
Daniel Romano “If I’ve Only One Time Asking”
Glenn Gibson “When Times Are Hard”
Dailey and Vincent sing the Statler Brothers
Marty Stuart “Ghost Train”

and albums by female artists that I think are better albums than “Home” include

they just seem “too rehearsed” and “not inspired” if you can understand what I’m trying to say.

Some days I like my music to be perfectly rehearsed and orchestrated. But those are the days I listen to Broadway musicals or Peter Ostroushko.

I like my Country Music to be a little more “free-form” and intimate.

and the Chicks are just sooooooo rehearsed.

I’m not saying “a pox on them for practicing” but it just sounds like notes on a page, like they put all the effort into the sheet music and didn’t get the soul.

1+

CountryKnight
November 8, 2016 @
1:48 am

Because “Home” is extremely overrated and one of the main singers involved in the album despises the constituents of the genre that she made her fortune in.

1+

Cool Lester Smooth
November 8, 2016 @
9:54 am

Good point, CountryKnight!

I mean, sure those constituents burned her records and spent years sending her and her family death threats…but she said mean things about them a couple times!

Really, both parties are equally to blame, here!

Fuzzy, if you can’t hear the soul in You Were Mine, Landslide, Travelin’ Soldier or Voice Inside My Head, you might need to get your own checked, haha. Maines’ rawness and immediacy is a major reason why the Erwin sisters work with her, and why Courtyard Hounds felt so cold.

3+

Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 8, 2016 @
3:37 pm

Cool Lester, have you noticed that every time you and I discuss the chicks that Countryknight shows up out of nowhere?

Just something to think about.

And on that note:

Dude, I LOVED Travelin Soldier growing up, it was one of my favorite songs… BUT I also really like Luke Bryan’s “I Know You’re Gonna Be There.” and I hate him quite a bit.

Point is, I can disagree with an artist and still like some songs.

Is she a soulful singer?

Not compared to Patsy or Dolly but she’s loads better than Miranda or Carrie.

And that’s kind of why I don’t listen to her often.

And No, I don’t just dislike her because of politics. I effing love the shit out of Green Day, and they did a whole (fantastic) anti-war album after 9/11.

I dislike her because her personality seems so “holier than-thou and everyone who disagrees with me is stupid” and her music just doesn’t measure up when I can listen to any number of records from better singers. Like Patsy, or Jean Shepard.

God I love Jean Shepard.

Maines just seems… soooo… self-centered, like she knows better than everyone else.

2+

Cool Lester Smooth
November 9, 2016 @
11:14 am

Haha, he probably has a Google alert set up.

And I’m not suggesting that you dislike her because of her politics at all.

But have you thought that a ton of her public personality these days is a reaction to the years of death threats she received from people claiming to “stand for” country music and the “way of life it encompasses”?

Some people have a tougher time shrugging that stuff off than others.

1+

Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 9, 2016 @
3:18 pm

Well… my response to that would be:

what kind of an idiot thought saying something like that in England would be okay?

it was practically immediately after 9/11. Of course people were going to lose their collective shit.

Was she supporting an opinion that would later turn out to be the “right one?”

yes.

But she was doing it at a time when knee-jerk reactions were strongly in favor of what she was criticizing.

I mean “Duh.”

That one seems so obvious in hindsight.

0

Jack Williams
November 10, 2016 @
8:35 am

Immediately after 9/11? No. It was 18 months after 9/11.

I find it interesting how anti-Chicks people like you find reasons to explain away the fact that she had the “right opinion” with respect to being against the Iraq war before it started. I wish I could say that I had that “right opinion” at the time.

0

Kevin Smith
November 7, 2016 @
4:37 pm

Hahahahahahahah….now that is the comment of the day, right there!!!!’ I’M belly laughing right this minute..hahahahaha.heeheeeheee….hooohhoohooo…..

The point of this article was to give a detailed rationale into why performances like the one Eric Church and Rhiannon Giddens turned in were overlooked. Sure, I could just post an article promoting the performance, but like the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” By speaking about the fundamental reasons this performance was overlooked, the hope is this same thing will not happen in the future, either by the CMA booking huge, polarizing pop stars that suck all the attention away, or that we don’t spend so much time arguing with each other instead of paying attention to the most important things about the presentation. To blame me for bringing up Beyonce once again in this article frankly feels a bit indolent and misunderstanding of what I was trying to accomplish with this piece of criticism.

Can we stop complaining about this stuff and work on the bigger issue which was the way OUR legends were treated?

Thirty seconds for Roy Clark??? ROY EFFING CLARK????????????????????? The man who won a national banjo championship in 51 AND 52? Flatpick and fingers championship on top of that? Highest paid country concert star from 69 to 71? best Country instrumental performance 1982? he played at Mickey Mantle’s funeral. MICKEY EFFING MANTLE’S FUNERAL.

All of our legends got snubbed out there, but all we’re talking about is Beyonce?
Why not just take her, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert and send them all back to teen disney where they belong and give Roy Clark a couple minutes instead of wasting our whole evening making more Willie Nelson pot jokes while Carrie shrieks like a banshee and Beyonce does what she always does: sick rabid fans on everyone.

I really have a hard time believing that I’m the only one mad about the way our legends were treated out there.

I want to apologize for the tone of this comment. I had a knee-jerk reaction the way most of us are having about Wednesday night.

I’m mad, but about Roy Clark, whom I grew up watching and is probably why I fell in love with Country Music in the first place. and could not care less about this Beyonce business when to me the real issue was watching “Superpicker” get shafted.

Other than the milestone in history this year, no one on here pays attention to the CMAs other than to make fun of them. The CMA is not country music history. It’s a business.

This is the CMA:

MISSION STATEMENT
Heighten the awareness of Country Music and support its on-going growth by recognizing excellence in the genre, serving as a repository for critical and timely information and communication, while providing a forum for industry leadership dialogue toward its goals.

VISION STATEMENT
CMA is dedicated to bringing the poetry and emotion of Country Music to the world.
We will continue the tradition of leadership and professionalism, promoting the music, and recognizing excellence in all its forms.
While fostering a spirit of community and sharing, we will respect and encourage creativity and the unique contributions of all.
CMA will be a place to have fun and celebrate success. We will take risks, embrace change, and always exceed the expectations of those we serve.

This was Rihannon’s statement on her FB page today as she posted the video above:

“Going into this election tomorrow, I’d like to post this. No, it’s not Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks. It was a little quieter, but it was really saying something important, to me. Thanks to Eric Church for having me. And let me state for the record – there were two other people of color at the CMA awards, who were singing country music – Charley Pride and myself. Company I’m honored to be in.”

Kinda glad I had to pee, that is what I missed. being 16 in 2000, Destiny’s child was one of the groups that got me into pop for a bit, but all of Beyonce’s solo stuff has really turned me off. I just watched the performance online, and had to turn it off. Unlike Timberlake, she didn’t try to show her “Country side” we can see Country influence dimly throught Justin’s life, singing afew country songs on stage in the past, add that to the fact that as a pop singer, he can diversify from Country-pop-rock-hiphop and still somewhat stay in his genre. If the CMA’s want to support racial diversity, they need to promote the black country singers more, and as much as some people here will not like me saying it, promote the blacks that have been featured on country albums in the past. Country has always had afew great black artists in the background, and then the CMA’s overshadow those great artits by bringing in Beyonce, Maybe next year the BET Awards can bring Luke Bryan in to rain on Eminem’s parade.

I’ll just throw this out there . KILL A WORD , while a timely and smart substance -drivin lyric ( perhaps one of the best on radio ) is , unfortunately , not a great song if a song is also groove , interesting sonics , interesting use of instrumentation ( arrangement ) undeniable dynamics and VERY identifiable and singable hook. Church is NOT the most exciting entertainer ( relatively speaking , of course ) to watch in performance and his cool stand-offish 70’s biker image undermines even his sweetest lyric sentiments . Add to this his tendency to under-deliver a hook line (‘ havin a record year’ …’kill a word’….both hooks trail off and are somewhat difficult to discern . Style ….sure ..ok ) and its understandable how this song may not stand up to as many viewings as something more exciting with , perhaps even , NO lyrical substance .
I know many Eric Church fans will dump on me for the above . I am a fan of Eric Church’s lyric-writing and have been for a long time . His latest album is about as good as it gets in that dept . My observations above are not in-congruent with that.fact

Ok, as a Church fan I feel obligated to respond to this. I don’t completely disagree…but “Kill a Word” is subdued by nature…in fact, most of “Mr. Misunderstood” is subdued. This can equal what might be seen as less than exciting performances of his latest material. But he is pretty versatile, and if you have seen him perform anytime in the past ten years, I have to believe you wouldn’t think he’s not an exciting entertainer…or maybe you would…who knows. Like I said, felt like I had to be the “Eric Church Voice” here haha. You can disagree, and probably will, but I had to say it. “Kill a Word” may not be a great song for mainstream, but it is still a great song, in my opinion.

I know it won,the make sense to all of you who want to make this a racial issue….feel free to if you choose….but it is as simple as this.Country music is for those who like their music pure,uncontaminated with violence and still rooted in respect for it,s people.Not this garbage we saw at the awards show.Naked and singing whatever she was singing.WE DIDN,T CARE FOR IT,DIDN,T ASK FOR IT AND DAMN SURE DON,T APPRECIATE IT.SO KEEP IT WHERE IT BELONGS AND KEEP OUR MUSIC COUNTRY!!!

FWIW, I think “Kill A Word” is a great song, deserving of accolades and one of the best Eric Church has ever put forth. It’s a standout from the Album of the Year. It should not be buried under another pop/country controversy. Why the powers in charge of the CMA’s and the ACM’s and such keep trying to force pop stars on country music fans, I’ll never know. There is more quality country music out there in the hinterlands than ever before. It’s not even hard to find at this point. Maybe they should try to put some of that on stage.

Rhiannon Giddens really needs to lead the performance. She’s just too damn talented to be relegated to 2nd voice on any song. And I’m not an Eric Church hater. Most of the biggest talents in real country music right now are women. Will they ever get their due?

This night was about celebrating 50 years of the CMA Awards! Roy Clark, Charlie Pride, Ricky Skaggs, Clint Black, the memories of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Pardon, OMG Randy Travis!! Who cares if the Dixie Chick’s were there & Beyonce performed (I don’t mean that in a bad way). It was a celebration of country music past, present, & hopefully the future. How many of our country favorites have paired with an artist from a different genre? ALOT***I’m sure we’ve all been told, if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say it. It was a wonderful night, filled with great performances & beautiful people. Don’t allow yourselves to get caught up in all the negative life is too short. I’ve watched the opening so many times & I still get choked up. I have one question, when did we as a society quit caring?? It would do us all good & listen to Tim McGraw’s Humble & Kind & seriously listen to the words. Thank you

Everyone, on both sides and all angles, just needs to shut the hell up about this. Doesn’t anyone have anything better to do than to bitch about this for a week? This has become as obnoxious as the election.
Also, “Kill a Word” is one of Eric Church’s best songs, and I am glad he got recognized for his album, one of the best out of the mainstream in quite a long time.

I am curious now where the CMA’s go next year? Do they give time to Rhiannon Giddens, Mickey Guyton do they give Charlie Pride a lifetime award with Neil McCoy and Darius Rucker presenting? Or do they hope all this blows over and we see Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga performing next year and we go through this all over again?

Well, I’m back (maybe against my better judgement)….but honestly, Trigger, this was a fabulously written piece. I haven’t been reading for awhile, but given what just went down I HAD to see what was being said here, despite my mixed feelings for this website. I needed to hear it from both sides. Good job with this one. I doubt I will be around all that much after this, but I have to say I’m glad I popped in. I’ve been thinking a lot of these same thoughts since the CMA’s aired. Of course, I’m a major Church fan so I know there’s a degree of bias here, but even so, I really believe this piece is insightful and well articulated. Like you, whether or not I really like 100% of what someone does or says, I like to give credit where credit is due.

I heard on the radio a minute ago that Eric Church apparently gave an interview or something saying we shouldn’t worry about genre or how country Country music is. Anyone heard the actual quote? They were paraphrasing (and are jackasses.)

He was saying that Americana and country are essentially part of the same genre, and that most of the improvements in country music over the past couple years were driven by the exciting stuff coming out of Americana right now (particularly Chris Stapleton).

Eric Church has been saying these kinds of things for years. He said it in probably a dozen interviews after he released “The Outsiders” and got criticized for some of the hard rock elements of that record. I have an article on the way that tires to explain the importance of genre a little better, and may address Church’s comments there.

May I say this: I enjoyed all aspects of the CMA Awards except for Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan and FGL. I think it was an excellent show. And if all Beyonce did was to bring back the Dixie Chicks I am happy. I thought most of the performances were the best we have to offer in country music. As for ” Kill A Word” and its two great singers I didn’t forget.

Now as for the racist part. I am black. I have listened to country my whole life- I now fifty-one, and never have I ever thought country music was racist. I thought some of the fans were,but that is true of any music. The problem with country has always been that there should be more: more women, more blacks, more Spanish singers. All have influenced country and have something to say with the genre. But whenever country goes political it looks like an ass. Kicking out the Dixie Chicks, and allowing bro-country to rises through Toby Keith is an unforgivable sin. But the real sin is that the record producers and country radio are afraid that color and gender won’t sell. Just like when Charley Pride and Loretta Lynn were coming up.

Last year many thought Justin Timberlake was the bomb. I thought he was just trying to steal some authentic fire from Chris Stapleton. Timberlake is a pop star with a limited voice and an unoriginal musical direction. He didn’t add or subtract from Stapleton. Beyonce didn’t add or subtract from this year’s show. Her one feat, just like Garth’s win, was to reintroduce a group that added to the genre- who hinted at better days from the past and time to come. If all she accomplished was that feat then I am grateful- though I am not a fan of her music and agree with Trig that ” Daddy Lessons” is not a country song. But ” Long Time Gone” is. And unlike Timberlake, Beyonce is not releasing her song as country to get more attention. Her motive for being there in the end was about the Chicks. And God I hope we can be man enough to admit we were wrong letting them go, and welcome them back. They are a member of the country family. And the best thing about country music is that we react, as fans, like a family, not like assholes scoring points by dividing us.

“the best thing about country music is that we react, as fans, like a family, not like assholes scoring points by dividing us”

well said. what do you think of that show where all these musicians from different generations sit around in wooden rockers and share songs? to me, it’s a powerful image of American culture: the passing between generations, the openness to new voices, the contributions of the young to honoring and challenging the mature. in that circle, Rhiannon Giddens has a clearer place than Beyonce Knowles. what do you think?

I’d like to see that show be given greater prominence somehow, to be a great place for the question of country music to be worked out. and Trig, the undergrounders should be part of it. make it as big as America.